Slave... or free?

In the last few posts, I talked about what it means to be a slave to Christ. It was like a reoccurring theme. But... the Bible tells us we're free? How can you both be free and a slave at the same time. I think that's something that a lot of people struggle with.

There are some people that accept Christ, then continue in their old lifestyle (sin).  They... aren't really free.


There are times when I just slip into doing something that's  stupid because of my own inattentiveness. I hear the warning by the grace of God... and I listen to "a different master." As a voluntary slave, I listen to another master who is in direction competition with the one that I serve.

In that instance, I have voluntarily give up my freedom to serve another who is not interested in my best interest.

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 

For me... this would come in the form of guitars. It would start by looking at guitars online.... then watching youtubes of people playing the guitar... then going to the store and finding it... then buying it. In the end... I had 21 guitars. Did I need 21 guitars? No. But I was a slave to buying them... instead of being free to play them.

For a while, instead of playing music to praise a living God, I was looking at my collection not playing any of them.

Now, I sold them all, only have 2... and play to the Glory of God. (Just my story... not suggesting anyone do the same.)


In other instances, I know some people that accept Christ... struggle to become the best Christian that they can be, then other believers begin to put them under bondage (law) of the Old Testament.

Galatians 5:1-3 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to the whole law.

I have a friend that is a new Christian who is struggling because the women in her church tell her that it's a sin to wear pants. She loves God, but feels guilty because she can't afford a new wardrobe.... and she likes pants!

I know I said this blog wasn't about denomination, but I can't find anywhere in the scripture where Jesus indicated that clothes make the person. He was all about people coming to Him and serving.

I struggle here too. Sometimes, it's easier to come up with a checklist of things that we need to do in order to be a good Christian, than to take time to build a proper relationship.

Romans 6:21-23
The Message (MSG)
 20-21As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.
 22-23But now that you've found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.